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Even though when it comes to city breaks I’ll always stay in a hotel, I really love self-catering holidays. It’s the type of holiday I always went on as a child and I think that’s what’s formed my opinion of them now. They’re generally my first choice but sometimes there’s nothing nicer than staying in a hotel and eating out every day. Hopefully, by the end of this post, you’ll see why you should try a self-catering holiday too.
The Locations
While there are companies that offer self-catering accommodation in cities for me it’s the more rural settings that have me coming back. There’s a particular campsite in France that I love because it’s so out of the way and so peaceful too. I’ve been having a look at what’s out there as I’ve been seeing loads of adverts for villa holidays and I’ve been drawn to James Villa’s properties in Lanzarote*. The villas are all gorgeous and the website gives you a great guide on what’s included with each villa which is important for me as I definitely need a heated pool and free wi-fi when I travel. For each villa, it also tells you if you need a car or not. This is important so you know how easy they will be to get to from the airport. You can also add the villas you like the look of to a shortlist so that you can compare them all before making your booking.
The Freedom
I think what I love best about self-catering is the total freedom you get on a daily basis. There’s no one from housekeeping trying to get in to clean your room and you don’t feel like you have to get up for breakfast if you don’t want it. Although one morning on our holiday one year all I wanted was a bacon roll and a can of Irn Bru which I couldn’t find in the French countryside.
In France, I love trips to the supermarket to stock up and cook a few meals as well as having the opportunity to eat outside. My favourite meal to prepare is my marinaded chicken as you can prep this during the day then cook the meat when you’re ready for it.
The Activities
I feel that as a couple we tend to do more when we stay in self-catering accommodation. We end up going out more and seeing the area we’re staying in rather than lying in bed and watching TV. I think this has something to do with the fact that we’ll have the car so can go off and do things that you can’t always get to by public transport. Our holiday in France last year wouldn’t have happened if my husband hadn’t driven all the way from Scotland to Cahors in two days. You can read all about what we got up to in the photo diary I posted last year which has a lot of ideas for what to do if you’re in the Lot or Dordogne regions of France.
What do you love about self-catering holidays?
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored but all views and opinions are my own.
